Piston-head for engines.



A. STARKE.

PISTON HEAD FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1909.

941,737. Patented Nov. 30. 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. STARKE.

' PISTON HEAD FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1909.

Patented NOV. 30, 1909.

3SHEETS-SHEET a.

172 were for wj Zoraxfizrfi ASHTON STARKE, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

PISTON-HEAD FOR. ENGINES.

3&1337.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30), 1909).

Application filed April 21, 1909. Serial NoQtSlfiOG.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, ASHTON STARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in'the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Piston-Heads for Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to piston heads more particularly designed for explosive engines but not confined to such type of engines when adapted for other kinds of engines.

It has for its object to provide a yielding backing or cushion for the sectional piston packing so as to normally press the packing outwardly for contact with the inner wall of the piston cylinder and which at the same time will yield inwardly against outwardly exerted pressure against the packing; and in which also the elastic or spring exerting member will be removed from and protected against the heat generated from the exp osive or impelling agent, thus guarding against the efiiciency of the sprin being impaired by reason of the heat in t e cylinder between its head and the piston head afiecting the temper or tension of the spring.

Tothe accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the features hereinafter described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which I Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the piston head; Fig. 2 an end view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the false or auxiliary head removed; Fig. 3 a sectional View on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4: a perspective detail view of the rotatable. stud; Fig. 5 a face View of the sectional packing ring;

Fig. 6 an end view of a modified construetion looking at the inside of the pistonhead; Fig. 7 a similar view of another modification; Fig. 8 a side elevation of another modified form with a portion of the piston broken away; Fig. 9 is a perspective of a modified form of packing ring and manner of connecting operating arm therewith; Fig. 10 a perspective of another modification; and Fig. 11 aperspective of another modification.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a piston head of any approved type to the head 2 of which is attached a false or auxiliary head 3 by suitable means,for instance, by bolts 4 passed through the two headsand encircled by thimbles or spools 5 for spacing apart the two heads so that sectional packing rings 6 of any desired type, and which may be made in any number of sections desired, may fit in the space, at the periphery of the heads. The heads of the bolts 4 will fit in countersunk head depressions in the false head as illustrated and nuts 7 will be applied to the inner threaded ends of the bolts so asto hold the false or auxiliary head in position. The space between the two heads will correspond to the cross sectional area of the packing ring or rings inserted between the two heads, any desired number of rings being used although only one is illustrated and which under ordinary conditions may be sufficient. The sections of the rings are held outwardly by rods or arms 8 suitably connected at one end with the ring sections or bearing thereagainst (preferably one arm for each section) and at the other end connected to a rotatable disk 9, say for instance by pivot pins 10. This disk is fitted on .the angular portion 11 of a stud which has a cylindrical portion 12' passing through the head 1 so as to turn therein and provided with an angular shaped head 13 to which will be connected suitable means for turning the stud so as to rotate the disk 9 to throw the arms 8 outwardly to position the packing rings at the periphery of the piston head or to draw the arms inwardly so as to retract the packing ring sections,-

said disk acting as an eccentric to project or withdraw the ring sections.

The means for actuating the arms to project the ring sections may be varied in form and construction and is resilient in character so as to exert an outward spring pressure on the ring sections and also yield under inwardly exerted pressure against the outside face of the ring sections, thuskeeping the packing rings in close contact with the piston cylinder and allowing them to yield 111- wardly so as to prevent binding or objectionable friction arising from contraction or expansion of the parts, or otherwise. @ne form of suitable means for the purpose may be a fiat spring 14 suitably connected at one end to the angular head 13 of the rotating stud, say by fitting said head in a correspondingly shaped pole in the end of the a spring, the other end of the spring being connected, say, by a pivot pin 15 to one end of a lever 16 fulcrunied in a bolt 17 Whose head is countersunk in the side Wall of the piston and provided With a securing nut 18. The outer end of this lever is held by a bolt 19 passing therethrough and adjustable in a slot 20 formed in the Wall of the piston, said slot having countersunk faces so that the head of the bolt will lie flush With the outer face of the piston, and the bolt provided With a nut 21 for locking the lever to its adjustment. By throwing the lever in one direction the spring plate connecting it to the rotatable stud will rotate the stud so that the ring sections, by the intermediate connections, will be thrown outwardly or inwardly, depending on the direction of movement of the lever, and Will be held normally at such position by locking the operating lever. It Will be observed that the plate or spring lei will exert a spring or yielding pressure on the ring sections and will at the same time yield under pressure exerted against the outside of the ring sections, thus insuring close contact at all times between the packing rings and the piston cylinder. It will also be observed that the spring is located at a distance relatively remote from the face of the piston head so as to be beyond the injurious influence of the heat of the exploded gases or impelling agent in the piston cylinder, thus shielding the spring against the tendency of the heat afi ecting the temper of the spring and impairing its efiiciency. It yvill further be observed that the tension of the spring can be increased or lessened through the instruinentality of the lever Without dismantling the parts of the piston head, or the necessity of removing the'packing rings, that the extent of projection of the packing rings can be ad usted Without dismantling any oi the parts. These are important considerations, especially in explosive en ines Where the heat is relatively intense and the efficiency of the packing apt .to be iupaired by expansion and contraction of parts.

To guard against any of the 'impelling gases or :liuids passing around the cylindrical portion 015 the stud and back of the ston head in the event that from any cause .ey should pass the packing ring sections and into the space oetvveen the head and e head 3, a plate Washer 22 is placed amid the stud on one side of the head 1, y en the side toward the false head 3 as trated. a number of p' ed, si disks 9 would 1 ring" should be emy r the arms 3 es correspondingly increased and the stud correspondingly lengthened, but as this is obvious to the mechanic and is a mere duplication of the parts, it is not necessary to illustrate such duplications.

Instead of the form of spring and lever so far described, I may employ the form illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawin In this form an arm 23 Will be connected to the angular head 13 of the rotatable stud, and also connected by a spring 24: to a threaded draw-bolt 25 passing through a lug 26 and provided with a nut 27, While a spring 28 Will connect the arm to a lug 29. By adj usting the draw-bolt by means of its nut the stud Will be turned so as to actuate the disk and arms leading to the packing ring as in the first form and thus adjust the ring sections. This also places the ring sections under tension and allows of the yielding action specified for the first described construction. The springs are also removed from the influence of the heat in the piston cylinder as under the first construction described.

Another form of adjusting lever and tensioning means is illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing- In.this form a flat spring 30 is connected tothe angular head 13 of the rotatable stud, and the outer end of said spring is connected by an eye bolt 31 and spring 32 to a threaded draw-bolt 33 passing through a lug 34 and provided With an adjusting nut 35. By adjusting the drawbolt the spring 30 is put under tension and the rotatable stud turned so as to project the packing ring sections through the intermediate connections of the stud therewith. At the same time the ring sections are held under the pressure of the tension springs so as to operate as under the con struction first described, and the springs are also removed from the influence of the heat in the piston cylinder. Springs 36 and 37 may be coiled around the eye-bolt 31 on opposite sides of the flat spring 30 as illustrated.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated a modification in Which a spring plate 38, connected to the angular head of the rotatable stud, is connected by a bolt 39 and coiled spring 0 to a crank lever 11 on the end of a shaiit 42 retatable in suitable bearings 43, M and provided With an angular head as for the application of a Wrench to turn the shaft to rotate the stud for adjusting the ring packing and to regulate the tension exerted on the same. The shaft 42 may be held to its ad justment by passing a pin through any one of a number of holes 46 formed in a collar :7 on the shaft and a corresponding hole formed in the bearing 44, a number of such holes 1-8 being illustrated. The foregoing are illustrations of various forms means and tension regulating may be employed, and from the i earner given it will be understood that the invention in its scope is not confined t'o any particular means for effecting theobjects stated.

If desired, the packing ring may be of the form illustrated in Fig. 9 in which it is represented as formed of a channeled member 49 in which fits one end of the operating arm 50 and held therein by a pivot pin 51. The other end will be attached to the disk which is carried by the rotatable stud as in the previously described forms. Any desired num-.

ber of these arms may be connected to each section or segment of the, packing ring.

In Fig. 10, the operating arm 52 is illustrated as connected by a pin 53 to a lug or tip 54 projecting from the-inner face of a solid se ment 55" of packing ring.

In Fig. 11 the arm 56 is illustrated as formed with a rounded head 57 fitting in a socket 58 formed in the inner face of the segment 59 of. a packing ring, thus forming a ball and socket connection.

The foregoin are some of tions that may be employed.

The purposes and advantages of the invention have been made to appear in the description given of the several parts and consequently it is not necessary to repeat or recapitulate the same.

I have illustrated and described with particularity the preferred means for carrying out the invention but changes can be made in the details ofthe several features without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits what I claim is 1. The combination with a piston-head andits packing, of a spring operatively connected with the packing for holding it under tension, said spring being located outside of the piston-head to the rear of the packing and the piston-head to remove it from the influence of heat at the working face of the piston. r

2. The combination with a piston-head the construcand its packing, of a spring operatively connected with the packing for holding it under tension, saidspring being located within the piston outside ofand back of the piston-head.

3. The combination with; a piston-head and its packing, of a spring operatively connected with the packing for holding it under tension, said spring being located on the opposite face of the piston-head to that on which the packing is located.

4-. The combination with a piston-head and its packing, of a spring operatively connected with the packing for holding it under tension, and means for regulating the tension of said spring and effecting the adjustment of the packing, said spring and adjusting means being located outside of and back of the piston-head.

The combination with a piston-bead and its packing, of means operatively connected with the packing for efiecting its adjustment, said means being. located to the rear of the piston-head foradjustive manipulation without dismantling the parts.

6. The combination with a piston-head and its packing, of means operatively con nected with the packing for effecting its adjustment, said means being located back of the piston-head for adjustive manipulation without dismantling the parts, and means for holding said adjusting means to their adjustment.

7. The combination with a main pistonhead, of an auxiliary piston-head spaced apart therefrom, a packing interposed between the main and auxiliary piston-heads, means interposed between the two heads for expanding the packing, and a spring positioned outside of and'to the rear of the piston-head and operatively connected with said means for exerting a tension on the packing.

8. The combination with a main pistonhead, of an auxiliary piston-head spaced apart therefrom, a packing interposed between the main and auxiliary piston-heads, a rotatable member, arms located between the two piston-heads and connecting said rotatable member with the packing, and a spring to the rear of the piston-head and exerting pressure 'on the packing through said rotatable member and arms.

9. The combination with a main pistonhead, of an auxiliary piston-head spaced apart therefrom, a packing interposed between the main and auxiliary piston-heads, a rotatable member, arms between the two piston-heads and connectingsaid rotatable member with the packing, means for actuating said rotatable member and arms for adjusting the packing, and a spring exerting pressure on the packing through said rotatable member and arms.

'10. The combination with a main pistonhead, of an auxiliary piston-head spaced apart therefrom, a packing interposed between the main and auxiliary piston-heads,

a rotatable member, arms between the two.

piston-heads and connecting said rotatable member with the packing, a spring located to the rear of the inner piston-head to be removed from heat existing at the outer piston-head and operatively connected with the rotatable member to exert a tension on the packing, and means for effecting a rotation of said rotatable member to adjust the packing.

11. The combination with a main pistonhead, of an auxiliary piston-head spaced apart therefrom, a packing formed of segments interposed between'the main and auxiliary piston-heads, a rotatable member, arms between the two piston-heads and connecting said rotatable member with the segments of the packing, a spring located In testimony whereof I afiix my signature to the rear of the inner piston-head and in presence of two Witnesses.

operatively connected with the rotatable member to exert a tension on the packing, ASHTON STARKE' and means for regulating the tension of said Witnesses:

spring and effecting the adjustment of the W. E. TANN'ER,

packing. EDGAR H. FEReUssoN. 

